Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Disses Ariana Grande In Comparison To ‘Real Deal’ Billie Eilish

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Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong, 47, just threw Ariana Grande, 26, some serious shade! The rock star was chatting about 17-year-old Billie Eilish‘s success when he unexpectedly compared the two pop artists. “[Billie and brother Finneas O’Connell‘s] music is very real, and you can tell it all comes from them, which is what sets it apart from what other pop acts are doing,” Armstrong said to USA Today in an interview published on Feb. 6. “It’s not even comparable to think about what she does compared to someone like Ariana Grande. [Billie’s] the real deal,” he added. While Billie is often noted as a singer-songwriter, Ariana actually has writing credits on all 12 Thank U, Next tracks — including the title song that makes clear reference to her personal life and past relationships.

Billie and Ariana were both up for the coveted Album of the Year award for their respective projects When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and Thank U, Next at the Grammy’s on Feb. 26. Billie ended up taking home the prize, which was her first win in the category and fourth Grammy of the evening. Upon accepting, she took the opportunity to shout out Ari and her now-iconic album. “Can I just say that I think Arianna deserves this. Thank U, Next got me through some [stuff] and I think it deserves like more than anything in the world,” the teenager gushed.

Armstrong was thrilled, however, for Billie’s big win. “I’m stoked for her and Finneas…It was great. I mean, I only heard about it – actually trying to watch the Grammys is pretty brutal,” he added in the interview. “[Their wins are] insanely well deserved.” The Green Day star and the Los Angeles native have had a long-standing friendship, sharing the cover for Rolling Stone‘s “Musicians On Musicians” cover in 2019. In the magazine, the duo interviewed each other about their careers and song-writing processes.

“I can’t believe I’m in the room with the guy who was my wallpaper…the photo on my lock screen,” the 17-year-old gushed to her idol, adding that her big bro Finneas was also a fan. “[Finneas rocked the] little undone tie and the guyliner. He was basically a downgrade of you,” she joked, as Armstrong retorted that “he’s an upgrade now.”